Operating circuit for electrical devices



April 27, 1943. H. F. CYPSER OPERATING CIRCUIT FOR ELECTRICAL DEVICESFiled Dec. 10, 1940 w WV.

Patented Apr. 27, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OPERATDIG CIRCUIT FORELEC'JIRICAL DEVICES Hugo F. Cypser, New York, N. Y., assignor to SignalEngineering & Manufacturlng Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application Decemberilo, 1940, Serial No. 369,466

5 Claims.

The present inventionrelates to an operating circuit 1or electricaldevices, such as circuit controllers or relays that are adapted to movefrom one extreme position .to another in response to separate currentimpulses, such relays being known in the art as impulse relays.

According to the invention, there is provided a circuit wherebyanelectrical device of the ima non-operating value, irrespective of howlong.

the circuit remains closed. I

The above and other advantageous features of the invention willhereinafter more fully appear from the following description consideredin connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: a

Fig. 1 is a diagram of .an electrical circuit embodying the invention,and showing the controlled relay in non-operating condition.

Fig. 2 shows the circuit Fig.1, with the relay moved into its otherextreme position.

Fig. 3 is a diagram, illustrating a modification of the circuit of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagramshowing the invention as-appiled to thecontrol of a diiferent type of relay.

Referring to Fig. 1, the circuit of the present invention is shown, forpurposes of illustration, as being utilized to operate a relay A of theimpulse type. Ifhe relay A consists of amagne'tic core I, having a shortleg in carrying an'energizing winding .2, while the longer core leg lbprovides a suitable yoke 3, in which a magnetic armature 451s mounted ona pivot 5. The armature 4 extends in the direction of the core leg la,and provides near the pivot 5 an operating extension 6 terminatinginaknife edge in received in a notch I provided at the end of athrow-over arm 8'. a

The arm 8 is freely mounted for longitudinal movement within a bracket.9, with a spring ill surrounding the armbetween the bracket 9 and astop H, exerting a force on the arm, to thrust it in the direction ofthe armature extension 5. The spring I II is thus adapted to yieldlnglymaintain the edge 6:: of the extension seated in the notch 1, and sincethe line of thrust of the arm I passes to one side of the pivot 5, thearmature 4 is subjected toa turning force. With the parts occupying theposition of Fig. l, the thrust of the arm 8 is such as to maintain thearmature 4 against a suitable stop, with its free end displaced irom theend of the core leg in by a relatively small air gap. As shown, thearmature stop can be in the form of spaced stationary contacts l2,adapted to be engaged by a bridging member l2a, carried by the armature,so that the relay is adapted to govern the flow of current through acontrolled circuit.

When the operating winding 2 is energized, the armature 4 is drawn intothe'dotted line position of Fig. 1, wherein the armature extension 6 andthe thrust arm 8 are substantially in alinement with the pivot 5.However, should the impetus of the turning movement of the armature 4besuflicient to carry the extension 6 past the mid position indicated indotted lines in Fig. 1, then the compressed spring ID will cause the:arm 8 to exert a thrust tending to throw the armature into the positionof Fig. 2, wherein spaced stabe obtained by closing andimmediatelyopening a suitable switch I4 in one of the supply mains I!from which the winding 2 is energized. In operation of the relay, it isessential that the current impulse for energizing the winding 2 be ofsuch short duration as to Just swing the armature 4 in one direction orthe other past the dead center point, wherein the thrust of the arm 8passes through .the pivot 5. otherwisemontinued energization of thewinding v2-f'or-anyappreciable period would tend to center the armature4 between its two extreme positions, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig.1, wherein the magnetic pull would tend to hold the armature 4 againsttuming movement in either direction.

As previously pointed out, the circuit of the present invention isadapted to so function as to permit a momentary flow of current throughwinding 2 only sufficient to pull in thearmature 4, to which end acondenser i6 is connected in series with the winding 2. When the switch14 is closed, the winding '2 will be fully energized by the rush or kickof the so-called displacement current, which flows for a very shortperiod as the condenser It becomes charged. However, by the time thearmature 4 has swung past its mid position, the current traversing thewinding 2 will have fallen to such a low value, due to charging of thecondenser, that the thrust of the arm 8 .will be sufficient to completeturning movement of the armature into the position of Fig. 2. This willhappen in response to initial closure of the switch 14, regardless ofhow long the switch remains closed.

Upon opening of the switch M, the condenser [6 will immediatelydischarge through a resistor H, so that when the switch I4 is againclosed, a second impulse or kick will be given to the relay to cause thearmature A to move from the position of Fig. 2 back to the position ofFig. 1. Therefore, the relay armature 4 will shift its position everytime the switch I4 is opened and then closed, irrespective of the lengthof time that the switch may remain closed between suc cessiveoperations.

Referring now to Fig. 3, there is shown a modification of the circuit,wherein the switch is in theform of a push button l8 providing bridgingmembers |8a and H31), adapted to alternatively engage pairs ofstationary contacts is and 20.

The contacts I9 are in one supplymain I5, while the contacts areconnected in series with a discharging resistance for the condenser l6.

Thereforawhenthe switch I8 is pushed down,

to bridge the line contacts [9 and energize the winding 2 by thecondenser charging current, the resistorl'! will be removed from acrossthe terminals of the condenser by opening of the previously closedcontacts 20. As a result, there is nocurrent consumption by the winding2 through the then fully charged condenser l6. even though the switchisheld closed, since the discharging resistance, i1 is then entirely outof circuit. Upon opening of the switch [8 to unbridge the contacts i9,closure of the contacts 20 will cause the condenser 16 to dischargethrough the resistor ll, so that the circuit will be in readiness toagain operate the relay, upon reclosure of the switch [8.

Referring now to Fig. 4, there is shown a further application of thecontrol circuit of the present invention, in connection with a relay ofthe type having a magnetic hold-in for the armature, so that no holdingcurrent is required by the winding after the relay has pulled in. Such arelay usually comprises a permanently m-agnetized core 2i, of suchstrength that when the armature 22 is pulled in, upon energization ofthe winding 23, the armature will be held by magnetic attraction alone,even though the winding be no longer energized. Such magnetically heldinrelays have heretofore required the use of a mechanically operatedcontact to break the winding circuit, and the present invention providesa control circuit for the relay in which this auxiliary contact iseliminated.

As shown in Fig. 4, a condenser 24 is connected in circuit withthewinding 23, so that when the double throw switch 25 is closed, in onedirection, the kick of the charging current will cause the armature 22to pull in, with the permanent magnet serving to hold the armature whenthe current in the winding 23 is reduced substantially to zero as thecondenser 24 becomes fully charged. Therefore, there will be noappreciable current consumption by the relay while it remains closed,and the condenser charge will leak off through the resistor 26 when theswitch 25 is open.

In order to release the armature 22, a second condenser 21 is providedin circuit with the winding 23, which is charged in the oppositedirection,

upon closure of the switch 25 in the other direction. The resultingreversal of the polarity of the side of the core leg upon which thewinding 23 is wound, causes the armature 22 to be repelled when thesecond condenser 21 is charged, although there will be no appreciablecurrent consumption by the winding when the relay has been so released.

I claim;

1. An operating circuit for electrical devices, comprising incombination asource of electrical energy, an electrical devicecomprising a movable member, means for yieldably maintaining said memberin either one of two extreme positions and an energizing winding adaptedto actuate said movable member from one extreme position to another inresponse to each energization of said winding, and means included incircuit with said source and said device for permitting a momentary flowof current through said winding suiiicient only to actuate said devicefrom one position to another, with said device remaining in its secondextreme position, irrespective of continued closure of said circuit.

2. An operating circuit for electrical devices, comprising incombination a source of electrical energy, an electrical devicecomprising a movable member, means for. yieldably maintaining saidmember in either one of two extreme positions and an energizing windingadapted to actuate said movable member from one extreme position toanother in response to each energization of said winding, and meansincluded in circuit with said source and said device for permitting a.

momentary flow of current through said winding of sufiicient strength toactuate said device from one position to another, after which saidcurrent is reduced to anon-operating strength irrespective of continuedclosureof said circuit with said device remaining in its second extremeposition.

3. An operating circuit for comprising in combination a source ofelectrical energy, a relay providing a winding, a magnetic armaturemovable in response to energization of said winding, and including meansfor yieldably maintaining said armature in either one of two extremepositions independently of said winding, means for establishing acircuit be-.

tween said source and said winding, and means in said circuit forpermitting a flow of current from said source through said winding for aperiod sufficient only to move said armature from one position toanother wherein said yieldably maintaining means is effective to holdsaid armature in its new position, irrespective of continued closure ofsaid circuit.

' 4. An operating circuit for electrical devices, comprising incombination a source of uni-directional current, a relay providing awinding, a magnetic armature movable in response to energization of saidwinding, and including means for yieldablymaintaining said armature ineither one of two extreme positions independently of said winding, meansfor establishing a circuit between said source and said winding, and acondenser in said circuit for permitting the flow of current throughsaid winding in suflicient strength to move said armature from oneposition to another only during the charging period of said condenser,with said armature remaining in its new position, irrespective ofcontinued closure of said circuit.

5. An operatingcircuit for electrical devices,

electrical devices,

- aamass 3 comprising in combination a source oi uni-directionalcurrent, a relay providing a. winding, a magnetic armature movable inresponse to energization of said winding, and including means foryieldably maintaining said armature in either one of two extremepositions independently of said winding, means for establishing acircuit between said source and said winding, and a condenser in saidcircuit for permitting the flowof current through said winding in suf-10 flcient strength to move said armature from one position to anotheronly during the charging period of said condenser, irrespective ofcontinued closure oi said circuit, after which the charged condenserlimits the current in said winding to a value insumcient to overcome theeffect of said maintaining means on said armature in its new position,and until said condenser has been discharged.

HUGO F. CYPSER.

